


Meet The Family

by loves_books



Series: Meet The Family [1]
Category: A-Team (2010), A-Team - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 18:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/916375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loves_books/pseuds/loves_books
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal takes Face home to meet his family for the first time. His parents are wealthy and are suspicious of Face's motives for being with their son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet The Family

“So give me the highlights again?”

Hannibal glanced over at the man in the passenger seat. To any casual observer, Face looked completely relaxed, lounging back in his seat, dark glasses in place as he gazed out the window at the flat countryside. To Hannibal, who made it his mission in life to notice every little detail about the man he loved – with Face, it was often the tiny details that gave away the truth – he knew his boy was more than a little nervous. Long, elegant fingers drummed absently on his thigh, while there was a tension in the lie of that handsome jaw.

“We’ll be there pretty soon, kid,” he replied, eyes back on the road but one hand stretching over to still those drumming fingers. “You’ll meet everyone at dinner tonight.”

“I know, but run me through it again? We’ve never really talked about families, boss, and you did kinda spring this on me.” That much at least Hannibal could sympathise with. The team had talked about anything and everything over the years, but other than the bare minimum they didn’t really delve into their family lives. Partly it was sympathy towards Face’s situation – not that any of them would ever admit that, and the younger man would kill them at the first hint of pity – but more importantly, apart from BA and his mother, none of them were that close with their blood relatives any more. The team itself was more of a family after so many years spent so close together.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting this invitation myself,” Hannibal confessed. “But once they knew we were in the area…”

“It’s your parent’s place, right?” A deceptively calm and casual voice.

Nodding, Hannibal resigned himself to going over it again. Face already knew all this, the kid soaked up detail like a sponge, but if it would help calm those nerves he would talk his boy though details until they arrived at the ranch. “I grew up here. They kept it on as a second home after they moved back west.”

A pause. “And your brother’s coming?”

“Not until tonight. Richard’s in court today but he’s going to drive up afterwards, with Jackie and Ben.” Hannibal smiled at the thought of his nephew, growing up so fast. “He’s twelve now, almost a teenager already. He’s a great kid, Face, you’ll love him.”

From the corner of his eye he watched as his lover lifted off those dark sunglasses, turning bright blue eyes Hannibal’s way. “What about… I mean, what do they know about…?”

Ah. There was the real concern. “They know about us, if that’s what you’re worried about, sweetheart.” One brief, slightly awkward conversation many years ago had put his parents straight on the expectation of any grandkids from their youngest son, and it had barely been mentioned again. “Rich and Jackie know too, though I’m not sure what they’ve told Ben. But it probably won’t be mentioned directly, and we should maybe keep the handholding to a minimum. They’re pretty old-fashioned.”

That got a smile out of the other man. “Damn, and I was planning on snogging you senseless in front of your entire family.”

“Maybe after dinner, baby.” Hand still resting over Face’s he gave a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, they’ll love you. How could they not?”

Those sunglasses went back on, and that smile became a little more strained. Hannibal hated that even after all these years, the love of his life still doubted that he was worthy of that love.

“Hey.” Glancing away from the road again, he waited until Face turned back to him. “I love you so much, kid. You know that, right?”

A more genuine smile then, Face’s real smile. “I know, John. Love you too.”

Spotting the turn for the ranch up ahead, Hannibal began to slow the hire car. “This is it. We’ve been together for years now, sweetheart. Time to meet the family.”

* * *

“Okay, not exactly what I had in mind when you said ‘ranch’, boss.” Face leaned back against the car, gazing up in amazement at what could more accurately be described as a mansion. “I pictured ‘Little House on the Prairie’, y’know?”

He heard Hannibal laugh from the back of the car, where he was pulling out their bags. “Yeah, it’s a big place. Had lots of room to run around in.”

“You could play an epic game of hide and seek here,” Face mused, lifting off his sunglasses to better take in the sheer scope of the place. An enormous house, easily 20 rooms, stood in the centre of carefully tended fields, with large stables set a little way back. A barn conversion of sorts stood at right angles to the main house, alongside a triple garage. He wondered what sorts of expensive cars lived behind those closed doors.

He was startled out of his thoughts as Hannibal appeared in front of him, passing over his kit bag, his own already slung over one shoulder. They were headed back to base and travelling light, for once. His lover gave him a reassuring smile and leaned in for a quick kiss before pulling him away from the car and towards the main door. “Come on, let’s do this.”

Swallowing down his nerves – he met and charmed new people all the time, right? – Face schooled his features and prepared to give his biggest smile to Hannibal’s parents. He had never done this, never ‘met the family’. Even with Charissa, things had never got this far, although to be fair foreign postings didn’t exactly make things easy. And now, with Hannibal’s family, he so wanted to make a good first impression. As the older man reached up to ring the doorbell, he had a moment of panic wondering what, exactly, his partner had told his family about him, then pulled in a deep breath and smiled as the door started to open.

A tiny Hispanic woman stood in the doorway, a black apron around her waist. She smiled up at Hannibal, who stood maybe a foot and a half taller than her, and stepped back, gesturing them both to come in. “Mister Smyth, is good to see you, Sir,” she said, in a heavy Spanish accent, as Face took in the airy marble hallway they now stood in. “And Mister Peck, sir, pleased to meet.” Face managed a nod but didn’t get a chance to speak before she continued, “Mister and Misses Van Smyth in main room, Sir.”

“Thank you, Consuela,” Hannibal replied, and Face could hear the warmth in his lover’s voice. “We’ll go through.” Dropping his kit bag at the bottom of the (absolutely enormous) staircase, he gestured for Face to do the same. “We’ll take those up in a little while.”

“George will take up, Sirs,” Consuela insisted, a tiny frown on her face as she shuffled down a corridor to the left of the impressive hallway.

Hannibal shook his head fondly as he gently took Face’s arm, guiding him in the opposite direction. “Should’ve left them in the car,” he murmured. “She’ll go find George now and drag him away from his other jobs.”

Head spinning a little as his quick eyes took in room after room, Face started to ask exactly who George and Consuela were, and exactly how many staff Hannibal’s parents had, but found himself struck a little dumb by the sheer scale of the place and the wealth on display. Not ostentatiously so, no gold chandeliers or crystal ornaments, but to Face’s practised eye everything in the ranch he could see so far was very tasteful, very classy and very, very expensive. 

In the next moment, Hannibal threw open a set of impressive double doors and the two men entered what was undoubtedly the ‘main room’, a huge lounge comfortably holding several large sofas with smaller tables scattered around, and one wall made up entirely of windows looking out towards the stables. For a moment, Face thought the room was empty after all that, but then a deep voice boomed, “Jonathon!”

There was no doubt in Face’s mind that the tall man who unfolded himself from one of the sofas was Hannibal’s father, though it took him another moment to realise who Jonathon was. The older man looked exactly as Face imagined his lover to look in another twenty years or so, still all lean muscle but with solid grey hair instead of silver and quite a few more lines on his face. He hung back a little as Hannibal stepped forward to greet his father, the two men meeting with a firm handshake sealed with a squeeze of Hannibal’s shoulder.

“Good to see you, son,” the elder man said with a warm smile, turning expectantly to where Face stood observing them.

Hannibal took the hint, gesturing Face closer. “This is Templeton Peck, Lieutenant, better known as Face. Temp, this is my father, Jonathon Van Smyth.”

“Senior,” added the elder Smyth, a steely glint in bright eyes that were exactly the same shade of blue-gray as his sons, reaching out to shake Face’s hand. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir,” Face started, a little stunned at the strength the older man showed in his grip, almost bordering on painful. “Hann – John’s told me a lot about you.” 

Hannibal’s father kept hold of his hand a moment longer than was truly necessary, clearly and unsubtly looking Face up and down while Hannibal moved away towards the sofas. Face wished he had had a chance to change his clothes, still in tight-fitting jeans (Hannibal’s favourites) and a clean t-shirt at least, but in such designer surroundings he found himself longing for a smart suit. Smyth Senior was wearing dress slacks and a button-down shirt, holding himself erect in a way that was almost but not quite military attention. If he remembered correctly, Hannibal had told him once his father had been a banker of some sort on Wall Street. Clearly, he had done well in his chosen career.

“Only a Lieutenant, eh?” Jonathon Smyth commented, and was that a slight sneer in his voice, or was Face being paranoid? “Working your way up, no doubt?”

Before he could quite formulate a reply to that, he was being led across towards the sofas himself, where Hannibal was sitting next to an older lady, presumably his mother. Eleanor Van Smyth looked more her age than her husband did, slender almost to the point of frailty but still an imposing figure, elegant in a long dress with her thick silver hair swept up on top of her head. She held her son’s hand tightly in both of hers and was clearly paying rapt attention as he spoke to her. Face felt the oh-so-familiar pang of never having had any parent look at him that way, then ruthlessly pushed it aside as Hannibal met his gaze with a loving smile.

Noticing she no longer held her son’s attention, Hannibal’s mother turned to greet him. She was even less subtle than her husband as she swept her gaze up and down Face, who determinedly kept a smile plastered on. “So this is the Templeton Peck we’ve heard so much about,” she said, a tiny smile of her own appearing. Releasing her son’s hand, she reached up to take both of Face’s instead, pulling him closer and stretching up to press a brief kiss to his cheek. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Templeton. I must say, Jonathon never told us you were such a pretty young thing.”

Wincing a little, hating that word ‘pretty’, Face squeezed her hands gently while they still held his. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs Smith – “

“Van Smyth,” she interrupted, dropping his hands. “It’s Van Smyth. I know Jonathon refuses to use it, but here we are Van Smyths.” 

“Mother!” Hannibal chuckled from his position on the sofa, flashing Face a look of amusement at his Mother’s insistence. 

“My apologies, Mrs Van Smyth,” Face offered, half expecting a ‘please, call me Eleanor’ in return. 

But instead, the lady in question turned back to her son. “We’ve planned dinner for half past seven, Richard should be here by then with Jacqueline and Benjamin. Why don’t you show Templeton the ranch, Jonathon, and freshen up after your long drive?”

Nodding, Hannibal stood up from the sofa, leaning down to kiss his mother once more on the cheek. “We’ll see you later, then, Mother.” 

With a gentle hand on Face’s shoulder, he started to steer them both from the room, with a nod at his father as they passed. As they reached the doors, Face heard Mrs Van Smyth call across to them. “Oh, and Templeton? We dress for dinner in this household. Denim is not acceptable.” Before he quite worked out how to take that – fair enough, in a household like this, he supposed- she added a chirpy, “Lovely to meet you, dear.”

Confused as anything, not sure what had happened to his legendary composure, Face allowed his lover to guide him out of the main room and away into the depths of the ranch.

* * *

Pulling on a clean shirt, Hannibal smiled down at Face as he dozed on the bed, naked apart from a sheet pulled up to his waist. His lover looked good enough to eat right now, all tanned, toned muscle glowing in the soft early evening light, those beautiful caramel curls in disarray against the pillows.

The brief meeting with his parents had gone as well as he could have hoped. It had been almost a year since he had last seen them, although of course they spoke a little more often on the phone, and he had been a little nervous himself about introducing them to Face. Without this unexpected, last-minute invitation, he wondered if he would ever had had the courage to bring Face here, to show his insecure lover the rich lifestyle he had left behind when he joined the army. Hannibal had to stifle a laugh at that thought – most men would be nervous about bringing their male lover home to meet the parents because of the same-sex nature of their relationship, rather than fear of revealing their riches. Still, his parents had both been welcoming to Face as he had knew they would be, and now he was looking forward to dinner a little more than he had been.

Of course, their afternoon’s activities certainly had helped to relax them both. Hannibal perched carefully on the edge of the bed as Face stirred slightly, moving his head on the pillow but not waking up. George had indeed taken their bags upstairs for them, and Hannibal had been pleased to see his parents had put them in adjoining guest rooms at the far end of the house, a nod to propriety but with no clear intention for the two men to sleep apart. He had taken Face on a tour as suggested, and his lover had seemed a little quiet and subdued as they had walked through the rooms and out to the stables. Face had never really been much of a horse lover, and he had hung back as Hannibal greeted his parents’ prized stallions, instead making a fuss of the farm cat as she wound herself around his long legs.

Unable to resist any longer, Hannibal reached out a hand and trailed it lightly down Face’s arm, tracing over his Ranger tattoo with curled fingers. The younger man made a grumbling noise deep in his throat and stretched those long limbs of his. “You up for round two, boss?” he murmured, a slow smile creeping across his face, even as he kept his eyes closed.

“I wish, baby,” Hannibal replied, leaning down to press a kiss to those soft lips. After they had returned to their rooms earlier, they had fallen on each other as soon as the door closed behind them, an acknowledgement of the tension they had both been feeling that afternoon. Their love-making had been slow and tender, with frequent bursts of giggling as the sheer comedy value of having Hannibal’s parents in the house made the two grown men feel like sneaky teenagers. “Time to get up. It’s 1830 already.” Face groaned at that, but Hannibal knew his young lover liked plenty of time in the shower.

Hauling himself upright and finally opening his eyes, Face graced him with a beautiful smile, flashing those bright teeth of his. “Time flies, I guess, huh, Jonathon Junior?”

Growling, Hannibal debated tackling the other man back down onto the bed, but knew where that would lead them. “Don’t even start, brat!” He stood up from the bed as Face started to rise, breathing deeply to control his reaction when his lover strode naked across the room into the ensuite.

“At least your parents didn’t put us in your old room; that would have been the ultimate in weird sexual experiences!” Face called back. Hannibal had to laugh at that – his parents had kept his old room as a shrine of sorts, full of photos and old sports trophies, and Face had been fascinated by all the pictures. But he was right about the weird sex, Hannibal supressing a shudder as he imagined taking Face beneath a faded photo of his high school football team.

“Suit ok?” 

“Yeah, dropped out fine.” The younger man walked back into the room, still stark naked (and when had he found the time recently to get an all-over tan?) now holding his three piece suit on its collapsible hanger. “And you mocked me when I packed it. I told you, there is a definite art to folding a suit in a kitbag.” He hung it carefully on the wardrobe door, giving Hannibal the gorgeous sight of those toned butt cheeks in all their glory.

Down boy, he thought as his cock gave a definite twitch. “You okay?”

“Fine,” came the too-chirpy reply. “All good so far, right boss?”

Crossing the room, Hannibal wrapped his arms around his boy’s chest, pulling him into his arms. “You are amazing, Temp, and they love you already.” Face stiffened in his arms slightly before pulling away and heading for the shower. Resisting the urge to join him – being late for dinner would not be a good thing – Hannibal sighed and picked up his book instead.

* * *

Face felt more in his element over dinner, dressed in his three piece suit and much calmer after two amazing orgasms that afternoon. He knew had been a little quiet with Hannibal earlier and had caught the few concerned glances thrown his way, but conversation and fine wine were both in full flow as Consuela cleared their plates away after the main course.

Hannibal’s brother Richard and his family had arrived in time for dinner, and it had been good to see him again. Face had only met him twice before, several years earlier, but Rich was exactly as he remembered: a more serious, slightly older version of Hannibal, a little shorter and of a thicker build, but again with those same blue-gray eyes. His wife Jackie was a fairly plain, mousy woman, but Face had pulled on the charm and flirted a little with her over pre-dinner drinks and he knew he had made a good impression from the quick looks she kept stealing at him across the dinner table. Their son Benjamin had appeared fairly quiet at first, but he had come alive as Hannibal regaled them all with a couple of non-classified events from their latest missions, and conversation during dinner had been easy, drifting between Rich’s latest court case, Hannibal and Face’s work in the Rangers and Ben’s schooling - the boy was at an expensive boarding school, Face gathered, but seemed more keen to follow his uncle’s path in life rather than his Grandfather’s suggestion that a nice career in law or finance would be more suitable.

As he knew it would, the conversation eventually turned more to focus on Face. He had thought carefully about the comments made when he met Hannibal’s parents that afternoon, and had decided he was reading them wrong, that they were just the natural questions of concerned, slightly old-fashioned parents. 

“So, Templeton,” started Mr Van Smyth, as Consuela began serving them dessert. “We haven’t heard much about your life outside the Rangers yet.”

Taking a small sip of his wine, Face felt Hannibal slip one hand onto his thigh beneath the table in support. “We don’t have a lot of time for a life outside the Rangers, Sir. It tends to take over everything, as I expect you understand from John.”

“How about family, son? I know Jonathon tries his best to keep in contact with us whenever time allows. Where do your parents live?”

Ah, okay, time for that particular fact. He braced himself. “No family, Sir, I was raised in a church orphanage.” As he expected, that made everyone quiet for moment, and a host of sympathetic looks flashed his way. Hannibal squeezed his leg beneath the table. “A few foster homes here and there, but the army’s been my family for a long time now. John’s been my family.” He took the chance of throwing Hannibal a warm smile, still not quite sure what Ben knew about their relationship.

Consuela took that moment to slide his dessert in front of him – a fabulous looking chocolate and fruit concoction – and he thanked her warmly, in Spanish. She looked slightly stunned that someone had addressed her, and Face realised no-one else had really acknowledged her during the meal, realised he had probably committed a bit of a faux-pas there. 

At least that seemed to break the moment of pity the Van Smyths had been stuck in. Conversations began to fracture, Hannibal talking with Rich and Jackie about some mutual friends, while Eleanor Van Smyth kept Face’s attention, Jonathon Senior listening in.

“Growing up like that must have been very difficult for you, Templeton,” she began, taking a mouthful of her dessert, piercing eyes locked on his. He could see where Hannibal got his stare from.

Taking a moment to swallow his own mouthful – the chocolate was heavenly, as all the food had been – Face decided to try to steer the conversation away from his childhood, having no desire to drag the evening down like that. “Everyone has some difficulties growing up, Ma’am,” he tried, best angelic smile in place. “I have no regrets about joining the army, meeting John, it all changed my life for the better.”

“Still, I suppose schooling, college, officer training… Things must have been difficult, funding it all yourself,” she continued, her husband nodding as if in agreement. 

Funding it? That threw Face off a little, having expected some sympathetic comment about a lonely childhood. Was everything about money with them? Face remembered again that comment from the afternoon – ‘working your way up’ – and tried to remember these were rich people he was talking to. Perhaps priorities were different. “There are ways,” he answered evasively. “Scholarships, working two jobs. I always managed. Things got easier.”

“When you met Jonathon?” Van Smyth senior commented.

“Excuse me?”

“Things got easier when you met Jonathon, right?” Hannibal’s father leaned forward, wine glass in hand, his dessert already forgotten. “You’ve had him to ease the way?”

“Not like – I don’t – “ How had this become the topic? Glancing sideways at his lover for help but finding Hannibal lost in a laughter-filled argument with his brother, he took a deep breath. “It’s never been about that.”

“I’m sure it’s helped, though, dear.” Eleanor smiled, a false smile the conman could see straight through, as she turned her attention back to her dessert. “My youngest son is a generous man, I’m sure you’ve known he would help you. He’d always help such a pretty young thing.”

That comment again, his looks, his age. Starting to feel anger building now – what exactly were they implying? – he was startled when Hannibal wrapped an arm around his shoulders, turning him back towards the rest of the table. Clearly, his lover had decided that Ben had probably figured out what was going on between them if he didn’t know already, and he leaned gladly into the older man’s warmth and love as he quickly got caught up in a story Hannibal was telling about Murdock and his invisible dog. Ben in particular was enjoying himself immensely, and Face soon got involved impersonating his other two team-mates as Hannibal’s family all laughed along.

Despite the laughter, he remained entirely too aware of his lover’s parents both watching him with something approaching suspicion in their eyes, and resigned himself to having what would undoubtedly be a very uncomfortable conversation after dinner. 

* * *

That conversation started sooner than he had expected, as the group broke apart after dinner. Hannibal, along with his father and brother, left them to go smoke cigars outside, while Face escorted Eleanor and Jackie, along with a now yawning Ben, through to the same huge lounge they had been in so briefly that afternoon. Hannibal threw him a quick questioning glance as they left, and Face had tried to look comfortable and happy in return, not wanting to cause a scene in front of his lover’s entire family. Apparently Hannibal had been satisfied, leaving with barely a backward glance. 

Face had felt an irrational flash a panic at being separated from his other half, wanting Hannibal to have noticed something, to have overheard his parents at dinner, but managed to swallow his fears. He had faced down terrorists and enemy soldiers on four different continents; how could his lover’s mother leave him quite so unnerved?

At first the conversation was still easy, Jackie and Eleanor discussing the food while Consuela brought in a tray of coffees. Remembering his mistake from earlier, Face didn’t speak to the tiny woman this time but still made sure to catch her eye and give her a huge smile, which she returned after a quick glance to see if Eleanor was looking. 

“It’s getting late, Jacqueline,” Mrs Van Smyth suddenly announced, out of nowhere. “Perhaps you should take young Benjamin off to bed.” It wasn’t exactly a question, more of an order, and Face felt his heart sink. 

“I’m not tired, Grandma, honestly!” Young Ben’s enthusiastic protest was ruined as a huge yawn promptly split his face, and his mother swatted him gently on the shoulder.

“Up you get, tiger. Bed time.” Jackie stood, and reluctantly Ben joined her. “You can see Uncle John and Templeton in the morning.” They both kissed Eleanor goodnight, and Jackie gave Face a swift hug, for which he was grateful. Then, all too quickly, Face was left alone with Eleanor Van Smyth.

Deciding to start things off as cordially as he could, Face moved to sit on the sofa directly opposite her. “Thank you again for inviting us here. It really has been fantastic to meet you all after hearing so much about you from John.” He had just about got used to not saying ‘Hannibal’, as strange as it still felt, though he couldn’t bring himself to use ‘Jonathon’.

“Once we knew you were so close to us, of course you had to come. We wanted to meet the man Jonathon kept talking about.” Eleanor sat back a little, coffee cup held delicately in her hands. “He has never talked about any of his relationships before, so you understand why we were curious.”

“Of course.” Face felt a warm flush at her words – he was the first man Hannibal had even told his parents about, let alone taken home to meet them. 

“And now we see you, and you make such a… handsome couple.” Face frowned at the pause, as well as at her words. The way she said it, ‘handsome’ wasn’t a compliment. Though it was better than ‘pretty’. “I can see why he might have chosen you.” 

Sick of beating around the bush, Face asked directly, “And why might that be?”

“Well, you are quite the pretty young man. And being in the same team must make things a lot simpler for him.” Placing her coffee cup down, she dropped all pretence of politeness. “Frankly, I can’t see what else the two of you have in common. Your backgrounds… I’ve tried so often to introduce him to suitable men. I won’t lie, things would be simpler if he weren’t gay, but as long as he is happy my husband and I can live with that. I simply can’t see how he can be happy with you.” Seeing she had stunned her guest into silence, she softened a little, and through his hurt he could see how much she really loved her son. “I’m sorry if this causes you pain. I’m at an age where there is little point playing games. “

“It’s much more than that between us – “ Face started, trying to gather his thoughts, but his host didn’t give him much of a chance.

“I know, the money, of course. My husband especially feels – “ The sudden sound of loud laughter in the corridor stopped her words, and she smiled almost sympathetically at him. “Let’s not make a big scene here, dear. You really are quite a charming young man, let’s just enjoy the evening.”

And then Hannibal was behind him, one large, warm hand resting between his shoulder blades for a second as he came around to sit beside him, Rich settling beside his mother. Torn between making that scene and letting things slide for now, he compromised by moving closer still to his lover, closing the gap between them until their legs were pressed flush together. He slipped his hand onto Hannibal’s thigh possessively, ignoring the frown that crept over Eleanor’s face, and managing to find his way into the conversation between the two brothers, some anecdote of Rich’s about an argument between a Judge and a fellow lawyer.

It hadn’t occurred to him to wonder where Mr Van Smyth was, but then suddenly the older man spoke up from behind him. “Would anyone like a little drink? Scotch, Jonathon, right? And a brandy for you, my darling?” Everyone agreed, Rich requesting a brandy too, and Face was about to make his excuses and slip away to his room, unable to hide his feelings for too much longer, when Hannibal’s father turned to him. “Would you give me a hand, Templeton?”

* * *

Unable to think of any way out of helping without being rude, Face reluctantly followed Hannibal’s father from the room and along the corridor. The happy sounds of his lover laughing with his mother and brother gradually faded as he was led into a small dining room and around to an imposing wooden drinks cabinet. Heart sinking, he waited for Mr Van Smyth to speak first, worried about how his relationship with their son was being misread so badly but currently uncertain how to correct the situation. 

As Van Smyth senior began to open the cabinet, the concentration clear on his face as he searched through the vast number of partly filled bottles contained within, Face felt the silence grow until it was almost uncomfortable. Just as he was about to bite the bullet and speak up, the elder man asked, “I do hope my wife wasn’t too blunt with you?”

“Blunt, Sir?” How much should he admit to? Careful with his words, he replied, “She expressed some concerns. About why she thinks John is with me.”

A snort from the other man. “Yes, she’s very much of the opinion that our boy has been drawn in by your good looks and youth. She is really quite taken with you, but, as I’m sure she explained, she has no real idea why Jonathon would stay with you for this long, were it not for your looks.”

There was an opportunity here, a chance to bring Hannibal’s father in on his side – since when had there been sides? he wondered – and again, he took a moment to think his next words through carefully. “It has been a long time now for us, Sir. Years, in fact. Of course, we can hardly shout that from the rooftops – “

“Of course, of course.” A wave of a hand, dismissive. “I watched both of you very carefully over dinner, I saw the way my boy looked at you. I see the way he touches you. I must say that in this, I disagree with Eleanor: I can see he loves you very much. There must be more to a relationship than simply background and upbringing. I also find it very hard to believe my son could be so shallow as to stay with someone simply because of their looks.” He turned to a stunned Face, holding out a crystal tumbler filled with scotch. “Of course, my wife is very strong willed. She may take some time to come around to that idea, if indeed she ever does.”

Sipping gratefully at the amber liquid, feeling that comforting burn in his throat, Face felt a small knot in his belly loosen. “I’m glad you see things that way at least, Sir. I really do love your son very much – “

Again, that waving hand. “Forgive me, Templeton, if I don’t quite see that.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said I watched both of you over dinner. I can see Jonathon loves you.” A pause, filled with the clinking of more crystal beakers and expensive bottles of alcohol, along with the tinkle of ice cubes, as Mr Van Smyth prepared the other drinks. “Forgive me if this sounds judgemental. I spent my working life on the stock-market, on Wall Street, working with people who are very good at making others see what they want to see. People who are experts at getting what they want. So far, that’s all I see from you.”

“You think that just might sound judgemental?” Face was incredulous. He felt that anger from earlier in the evening building again, let a little of it show in his voice. “You don’t know me, Sir. How can you - ?”

“I know enough.” Van Smyth slammed a bottle down harder than necessary, sending the tinkling sound of glasses vibrating throughout the room. “A lowly Lieutenant, come from nothing, working his way through the ranks, a rich Colonel to ease the way. You’ve stared longingly at every sign of wealth, at these crystal glasses, the chandeliers, the staff. You flirted shamelessly with my daughter-in-law despite supposedly being deeply in love with my youngest son.”

“Let me explain, Sir, it really isn’t like that,” Face tried to explain, growing a little desperate. How had his actions been so misinterpreted? “Please, I can – “

“I can use all my influence to make sure you never get a dime more from my son.” Van Smyth’s voice had dropped dangerously low, and again Face could see something of where Hannibal inherited his natural power from, the air around them thrumming with tension. “I can put restrictions on the money he has now. I can make your dream ticket into a nightmare, unless you strongly consider stopping what you are doing. I can make your life very difficult indeed, if you hurt my son by using him this way.” 

“Sir, I’m really not – “

“I’m acting in the best interests of my family, I’m sure you understand. Or perhaps not.” Face felt that cruel shot straight to his heart. “One day, all I have will be split between my two sons. Jonathon is already very rich, and he will be more so. One day he will leave the Army and be able to live a life of luxury. I will not see him waste all I have worked to give him on a money-grabbing little b…” The older man took a breath, calming himself. “As I said, forgive me if this all seems judgemental. But I’ve seen people like you all my life.”

Scotch long forgotten, moisture beading on the crystal as it stood abandoned on the table, Face found he had nothing to say. How could he possibly reply to that? How could he defend himself to a man who had already made up his mind? 

This hurt worse than anything Eleanor had said. Hannibal’s mother couldn’t see why her son loved Face, couldn’t see past his good looks. Pretty, and nothing more. But his father thought he was actually using Hannibal as the means to an end – promotion, riches of his own. His father had seen the conman he truly was, but Face knew his relationship with Hannibal was one of the few areas of his life he never had to fake. He loved Hannibal with his whole heart and soul, but how could you demonstrate that to concerned parents who had already made up their minds?

“Mr Van Smyth,” he began, leaning both hands on the table, legs feeling a little weak. “Please, listen. I need for you both to give me a chance. I’m not like that, our relationship isn’t like that. You said you didn’t think John was shallow enough to love me for my looks. Do you really think he would be stupid enough to be taken in by a conman for years?”

Jonathon Van Smyth senior gave him a long, considering look, and for a moment Face felt his hopes lift. Then they were shattered. “I think you are very, very good at what you do.”

Lifting the tray of drinks he had prepared, the elder man nodded to the door behind Face. “They’ll be wondering where we’ve got to. Let’s get back to them, shall we?”

Shaking all over now, anger and disappointment boiling over inside, Face shook his head. “I think – Maybe I should – “ He pulled himself upright and faced the other man squarely. “Please give my apologies, Sir. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

A nod, almost of approval. “You had a long drive, of course. Good night, Templeton.” And he was gone, back down towards his family. Face felt his legs go from beneath him, and sank to the floor, wondering how on earth he could make all of this right, without devastating Hannibal and his lover’s relationship with his family.

* * *

Hannibal sighed as he looked down at Face, once more asleep in their bed without him. When his Father had come back to their party with a tray of drinks but without his lover, his heart had sunk a little. He hadn’t believed the excuse that Face had been tired and had decided to retire early, but couldn’t make his own exit for another few minutes, the formality of his parent’s carefully constructed life and the habits of his own upbringing refusing to let him be rude and chase after Face as he wanted too.

He wasn’t blind. He had noticed Face had seemed uncomfortable earlier in the day, and then again at moments during dinner. He hadn’t missed the way his beloved had pressed close to his side when he had come back in after enjoying a cigar or two with his father and Rich, and had begun to worry that, perhaps, his mother had said something to upset him. Eleanor Van Smyth was certainly known for speaking her mind, as, for that matter, was his father.

Now, looking down at Face, he knew for sure something was wrong. Face was curled into a ball in the bed, covers pulled tightly up to his chin, so different from the way he normally sprawled out across the space, turning to wrap himself around Hannibal as soon as he possibly could. Starting to undress himself, more than ready to reconnect with his other half, he worried about what, exactly, his parents might have said.

Had it been a terrible mistake to bring Face here? His family had never really discussed the fact that he was gay. It had been, apparently, accepted easily enough with only token protests, and his parents had never tried to set him up with women since that first awkward conversation, years ago. Rich and Jackie had never faltered in their support either, always asking him which hot army man he was dating, when he was going to take a husband, and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell had never seemed to apply in the Van Smyth family. But had there really been simmering disgust all those years? What damage might he have done to Face, always so insecure under his confident façade, by bringing him here?

Slipping finally into the bed, wearing only his trunks, he moved up close behind the sleeping ball that was his better half. Carefully wrapping an arm around that slender waist, he scooted closer until his chest was pressed against a warm back and he could press a very gentle kiss into soft curls. Face stirred ever so slightly against him, turning his head slightly into that kiss, and half opening sleepy blue eyes, just visible in the darkness of the room.

“John? Hannibal?” Warm breath against his face.

“Hey, baby.” He leaned closer to kiss upturned lips as his lover shifted in his grasp, uncurling a little and rolling over onto his back, still pressed close together. “Missed you. You okay?”

“Hmm,” was the only answer he got, as Face brought both hands up to clasp at Hannibal’s own, still locked around his waist. 

“Temp?” he pressed. “Did something happen? Did anyone say something to you, did they…? If someone said anything to hurt you, I’ll take you away from here tomorrow, I promise.”

Face was already shaking his head before Hannibal could even finish speaking. “They love you,” was the whispered answer. 

“Sweetheart, I love them too. But I love you more.” 

Face shifted again, turning so he was chest to chest with Hannibal, burying his head against Hannibal’s neck and wrapping strong arms around his back. “I love you too, John, so very much. Just hold me, please? Everything’s alright, just – Hold me?”

That didn’t erase Hannibal’s worry, but he could never deny Face anything, let alone that particular request, whispered against his collarbone. He pulled his lover as close as he could, wrapping his arms tightly around Face’s back and entwining their legs. He felt Face’s breathing start to even out and knew his lover was slipping back into sleep. “Whatever’s wrong, I’ll fix it, Temp,” he vowed softly as Face began to snore ever so gently, muscular body relaxing in his arms. And he would start first thing, at breakfast. And if his suspicions were correct, if his parents really couldn’t deal with their son being with another man, he would whisk his lover away, even if meant leaving his family for good.

* * *

“Keep your back straight, Benjy!”

“Don’t call me that, Mom!!” Face couldn’t hide his laugh at that indignant tone, but also couldn’t help noticing that the young boy did indeed pull himself a little more upright on his horse.

“I can’t believe he’s growing up so quickly.” Jackie sighed as she turned back to Face, the pair of them leaning on the fence in the early morning sunshine, watching their other halves riding along with her son. “Twelve years old already, and so independent.” They watched in silence for a few minutes, Face taking the time to admire Hannibal in his riding gear, especially those long leather riding boots… He half wished he had agreed to go riding himself, but having never really been around horses he wasn’t in love with the idea. He figured he had spent more than enough time feeling uncomfortable over the last 24 hours, and when Jackie had refused to ride either he had been given a perfect excuse.

Hannibal had immediately offered to stay with him as well, but Face had insisted he was fine, wanting his lover to enjoy some time with his brother and nephew. He knew he had given away more than he had wanted to last night when Hannibal had come up to bed, so glad to see him and so very happy to be wrapped up in his strong arms after such an evening. He had wanted so much to be strong, to hide his emotions, but a moment of weakness had let Hannibal see he was upset, though at least he knew the other man didn’t understand the real reason why. 

The very last thing he wanted was to cause any problems between Hannibal and his parents. Waking before his lover that morning, lying comfortably in their warm bed with Hannibal’s arms around him, he had considered making some excuse to leave early, faking an emergency back on base which would need him to drive away from the ranch and The Parents (he thought of them in capitals now) at great speed. But he knew Hannibal would see right through him, especially after last night, and couldn’t bear to disappoint his lover like that.

So he decided to tough it out, to try to relax a little, and maybe he would get a chance to show Eleanor and Jonathon Senior the person he really was. Still, it had taken all his considerable skills of persuasion to make Hannibal agree not to confront his parents there and then. His lover had been full of indignation over what he thought were homophobic comments towards Face, but had eventually been convinced not to say anything. He had been incredibly attentive all morning, barely leaving Face’s side, watching his own parents like a hawk until the group had split.

“You know Ben wouldn’t stop talking about you last night?” Jackie broke into his thoughts, brushing her long brown hair back from her face. “He completely idolises his Uncle John, and listening to the pair of you telling stories… All he talks about after John phones is joining the Army.”

Smiling, Face bent down to fuss the black and white farm cat as she twined herself around his legs again. “He seems like a really great kid, you both must be very proud.”

“Very proud. Rich and I would be proud whatever he chooses to do with his life, whether it’s accounting, law, army, or anything else for that matter! I think his Grandfather probably wouldn’t like it so much though.”

Standing back up alongside her, he bit back his instinctive comment about how it seemed impossible to please Mr Van Smyth at all. “Yeah, I guess he has grander plans for his family.” A thought. “How did it go down when Hannibal joined up? I’ve never asked.” The cat jumped up onto the fence next to him and he held up a fist for it to rub against.

“To be honest, I don’t really know. Things don’t get talked about directly in this family. I know they’ve been more than supportive though, whenever we speak to them they always keep us up to date with how his career is going.” Jackie fixed him with a piercing look. “How have they been with you?”

“I don’t – “ Where did that come from? “They’ve been… very welcoming.”

“Really?” Jackie snorted little, turning back to watch her husband as he showed young Ben how to jump over a log. “I remember how they were with me at first. Rich’s parents are in a world of their own, suspicious of anyone that might hurt one of their boys. And the whole money thing… They came from nothing themselves, you know, I think that’s why they‘re so protective. And so over the top, the whole ‘Jonathon’, ‘Jacqueline’, ‘Benjamin’ thing…”

“You had problems with them at first?” He nearly knocked the cat off the fence in his surprise. “Do you mind me asking what - ?”

“They thought I was after Rich’s money. Never said that in front of him, of course.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I take it they actually haven’t been so welcoming?”

It wasn’t just him. The relief coursing through his veins nearly made him weak at the knees. “Not so much, actually, no,” he confessed.

“And you haven’t told John, I take it? I saw how he was with you over breakfast, all protective but clueless.” There was a laugh in her voice, full of love for her brother-in-law.

That got a laugh out of him, too. Hannibal, clueless? Never. Actually, Hannibal had made several attempts to get him to talk more about what had happened, but breakfast had been a quiet, informal affair with no barbs from The Parents and so far he had been able to change the conversation whenever Hannibal had tried to pin him down. “He thinks it’s because I’m a guy.”

“Really? The whole ‘gay’ thing?”

“I guess.” Stroking the purring cat absently, he looked across the field as Hannibal and Richard raced their horses. “In a way, that would probably be easier to deal with. How did you deal with the whole money thing?”

Jackie paused, a frown creasing her forehead for a moment. “To be honest, things got easier when they realised I actually already had money. I come from a rich family, old money rather than new like them, so they realised it really wasn’t an issue for us. Also, I got pregnant with Benjy.” She suddenly laughed. “I’m sorry, I guess neither of those is really an option for you. Unless you’ve got something very surprising hidden beneath that handsome body.” 

Feeling a blush heating his cheeks, not quite knowing how to respond to that particular mental image, Face smiled instead when he spotted his lover riding slowly across to where they stood. “Thanks anyway, Jackie.” Reaching them, Hannibal leaned down from his horse and Face gladly stretched up to press a welcoming kiss to those warm lips. “Hey handsome, looking good out there.”

* * *

Hannibal had held his tongue all morning, trying to do as Face had asked. “Please, boss,” his lover had begged. “Really, it isn’t anything like what you think it is. I was just a little… overwhelmed yesterday. Don’t make a scene. Let’s just enjoy it while we can, being together off-base.”

Try as he might, he hadn’t been able to pin down exactly what had been said by whom, leaving his imagination to run riot. Face had always been able to talk his way around a subject for hours, never giving away more than he wanted to, and eventually he had given in, choosing instead to stay close by his lover’s side. Now, riding back across the field towards where Face and Jackie stood talking, he could clearly read signs of distress in that slender body.

“Everything okay, Temp?” he asked after a warm kiss from Face and a comment, phrased with a little too much forced jollity for his liking.

“Fine, boss, just catching up with your lovely sister-in-law.”

“We were talking parents and families, John.” Jackie stroked a tender hand down the nose of Hannibal’s horse. “The joys of meeting people for the first time. The difficulties of making good first impressions. Especially with your parents.”

There was a whole world of meaning in that phrase, and Hannibal felt the anger rising up inside his body as Face winced fractionally, bright blue eyes flashing. “My parents really did upset you, didn’t they?” he asked the younger man, trying to keep his voice calm. “What did they say? What did they call you? Queer? Worse?” 

He swung himself down from his horse, wrapping the reins around the fence, as Face tried to calm him. “Hannibal, everything is fine. It wasn’t like that. Leave it, please – “

“John, I didn’t mean anything,” Jackie tried to interject, clearly realising she had said something wrong. “Please, it isn’t my place – “

“Face, you told me everything was fine. You told me I was over-reacting.” Hannibal vaulted over the fence and started stalking off in the direction of the ranch house. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into keeping quiet. I won’t tolerate this anymore.”

Leaving Jackie to take care of the horse, dimly aware of Rich and Ben riding over to see what all the fuss was about, he heard Face chasing after him, his city boy slipping a little in the mud of the field. “John, please, let me explain – “

“No!” Hannibal stopped so suddenly Face nearly ran into him. The older man seized his biceps in a strong grip, pulling him close for a fast, bruising kiss. “All the bullshit we go through, all the hiding we have to do. We shouldn’t have to take it from them. I told you: I love them, but I love you more. This ends now.” 

* * *

Hannibal spotted Consuela polishing the furniture as he stormed into the entrance hall, barely pausing to wipe the mud off his boots. “Where are my parents, Consuela?“ he barked, anger still coursing through his blood. He felt a little bad when the tiny woman nearly jumped out of her skin before she gestured down the corridor towards the main room.

Behind him, he could hear Face’s fast, light footsteps as his lover tried to catch him. “Hannibal, please stop for a minute. Don’t do this for me.” There was a note of desperation in that voice now. “I need you to stop and listen, boss, before you make a huge mistake.”

“No, Face. The mistake I made was letting you stop me doing this earlier,” he threw back over his shoulder as he stalked down the corridor, shaking off the younger man when he grabbed at his arm. “I told you, I won’t stand for this, especially not from my own parents.”

Reaching the end of the corridor, he didn’t hesitate before throwing open the double doors and walking straight in, Face close behind him. His parents had clearly been having a brunch of some sort, side by side on one of the sofas with a tray of coffee and cakes on the table in front of them, but his father rose to his feet when he saw how agitated Hannibal was.

“Jonathon?” he asked. “What on earth is going on? Is everything alright?”

“No, Dad, everything is far from alright.” Hannibal tried to reign in his temper. Screaming at his parents wouldn’t fix anything, it never had, even when he was a teenager. The formality they cultivated so carefully just led them to shut down when voices were raised, so he would have to do this carefully. “I need to know what’s going on. I know you’ve said things to Face – To Templeton. Things which have hurt him. I want you to say them to me.”

His father snorted, walking around the table towards Hannibal. A glance over his shoulder showed Face standing in the doorway, shock clear in his bright blue eyes as he shook his head slowly at the scene. “Son, whatever he has told you… You have to know, we only have your best interests at heart. We love you very much.”

“He hasn’t told me anything, not in so many words.” He stepped back as his father reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “But I know him. I know he’s been trying so hard to act normal, to hide that he’s been hurt. I know he hasn’t wanted me to make a scene.”

A soft, “John,” from behind him.

“Nonsense.” His mother overrode whatever Face was planning to say. “What he knows is that we were only speaking the truth.”

“I don’t want this.” Face spoke up again, striding forward now and wrapping a strong hand around Hannibal’s arm, trying to tug him away. “Please, Hannibal. They’re your parents, don’t create problems because of me. You have no idea how lucky you are. Your family is the most important thing in your life – “

Hannibal spun around, incredulous. “No, they aren’t. You are.” He used Face’s grip on his arm to pull the younger man closer, wrapping an arm around his lover’s waist and keeping him close against his side as he turned back to his parents. “This is who I am. This is the man I love – the man. If you can’t deal with that, if you can’t accept who I am – “

At that, his mother stood up suddenly, gasping as if wounded. “This has never been about that. Is that what you think? Is that what you think of us?” She pressed both hands to her stomach. “All we ever wanted is for you to be happy; whether that is with a man or a woman has never mattered to us. Ever. ” His father murmured his agreement, looking between his wife and his son.

“Then, what…?”At a loss, he turned back to his lover. Face looked as tense as he had ever seen him, mouth pulled into an unhappy line. “Sweetheart, what is it?”

“Please, Hannibal. This doesn’t have to matter…”

At that, his father seemed to reignite, addressing Face directly. “I warned you what would happen if you kept on with this charade. I told you what I could do. You should have just backed away quietly.”

“You warned him?” Hannibal was actually shouting now, decorum be damned. “What gives you the right to warn him about anything? What charade?” 

“I’m protecting your inheritance, Son,” his father shouted back. “He’s only after your money, your status. You can make his path to promotion easier, you can smooth the way for him. You can give him the luxuries he has never had. You are going places, my boy the Colonel, and he only hopes you can take him with you.” He sat heavily in a chair and crossed his legs, seeming to calm himself a little. “I can make his life hell. A phone call to the right people…”

“If you out him, you out me as well, ending both our careers,” Hannibal pointed out, all the anger leaving him to be replaced with complete disbelief. “Why on earth would you think our relationship is all about money? What could possibly - ?”

“For goodness’ sake, Jonathon!” His mother came around the table towards him now, and he instinctively tightened his arm around Face, who stood still and silent beside him. “What else could it possibly be about? I know he’s a pretty young thing, and no one could deny how good the two of you look together, but other than the army you can’t possibly have anything in common.”

* * *

For a moment, the whole room seemed to hold its breath. Face felt completely unable to break the silence, standing paralysed against Hannibal’s side, pinned by a firm, unyielding arm. The look of betrayal on his lover’s face was the last thing he had ever wanted to see, the very reason he hadn’t wanted to make a fuss. Hearing Mr and Mrs Van Smyth actually tell their son what they were thinking… He had never wanted this.

“Is that really what you think?” Hannibal’s voice was dangerously quiet. “You think I’ve stayed with him for years because he looks ‘pretty’, and you think he’s stayed with me because I have money? You really can’t think of any other reasons we might still be together despite all the obstacles in our way?”

Finding his strength, Face tried to pull away, wanting nothing more than to leave the room. He didn’t want to witness the relationship between his lover and his parents crumbling. Even though he knew Hannibal and his family weren’t as close as, say, BA and his mother, he still felt that Hannibal was so very lucky to have parents in his life at all. He wanted nothing more than to be able to take his lover home and introduce him to his own parents, and that had been a large part of the reason he had tried so hard to make a good impression, was still so determined to at least make an effort.

But Hannibal wouldn’t let him go, if anything squeezing him even tighter, continuing in that icy voice. “You don’t even know him. And clearly, you don’t know me either.”

“Jonathon,” Eleanor Van Smyth looked a little taken aback. “We know you better than anyone, you are still my little boy, my youngest son…” Hannibal’s father sat up a little more as well, keen blue-grey eyes locked on his son, nodding once again in agreement with his wife.

“If that’s really what you think of me, of us…” Face could hear devastation in his lover’s voice. “We’ll go. Now. We don’t need anything from you; I don’t need your money, you can keep it all.” 

And now it was Hannibal who tried to turn them to leave, and Face who was left trying to keep them in place. Dimly, he was aware of Rich, Jackie and Ben arriving in the doorway behind them. The whole family, assembled to witness this. “No, John, don’t - “

“Face, we don’t need to prove anything to them. We can’t prove anything to them, and we shouldn’t have to.” Hannibal suddenly stopped trying to leave and faced his parents squarely, both of them stunned into silence. “I can’t prove to you how much I love this man. I can’t marry him, though I would if I could. But I doubt you would be convinced even if I did.” His father looked like he was going to try to speak, but Hannibal just kept talking, voice still so icy calm, and Face found himself unable to look away from the man he loved. “I’ve loved Temp since he was barely eighteen. I love his strength, I love his sense of humour, I love his intelligence. I love his big, big heart. I love that he still loves the old man that I’m turning into. I love that he has come from nothing and has never let it matter. I love that he is a survivor.” Hannibal turned to him, wrapping both arms around his waist now. “He’s never asked me for anything other than my love, but if he asked I’d buy him the whole damn world.”

Face didn’t care that the whole Van Smyth family stood speechless around them. All he could do was reach up and seize his man around the shoulders, pulling him down into a crushing kiss, trying to pour all the love and passion he felt for this wonderful, generous man into one gesture. Somewhere, he heard Benjy let out a wolf-whistle, heard Jackie giggling, but just kept the kiss going until both of them were breathless.

Eventually breaking apart, gasping a little, he leaned forward until he could whisper into Hannibal’s ear. “Told you I would snog you senseless in front of your whole family.” And his lover’s laughter was the sweetest sound in the world.

* * *

Later that night, Hannibal lay stretched out in bed, Face curled against his side, curly head resting on his chest. Idly stroking circles across his lover’s smooth back, Hannibal couldn’t keep the smile from his face, despite the ugliness of the morning and the long conversations that had taken up the rest of the day.

When Face had kissed him in front of his whole family, his first instinct had been to pull away, but then he had thought, Fuck it. He hadn’t really expected his little speech to make any difference, had fully expected to whisk his young lover away from the ranch, maybe had even expected to never see his parents again. But his outpouring of emotions, coupled with that incredible kiss, had seemed to deflate both his mother and his father, while amusing his nephew. And it had obviously delighted Face.

After that, the Van Smyth family had talked more openly than they ever had. His parents had explained more about their worries, determined to protect their sons’ futures and see them happy. Hannibal had never known his father to speak so honestly about his own struggles growing up, the times where he hadn’t had enough money to buy food let alone pay for rent. And his mother had shown genuine interest in understanding what he and Face felt they had in common, maybe starting to understand that a part of the attraction lay in their differences. 

He wasn’t foolish enough to think their attitudes would change overnight. But it was a starting point at least. He had been stunned when Jackie told Rich and himself that their parents had given her a hard time over the exact same things, and that had led to his brother losing his temper as well. Hannibal couldn’t remember the last time his big brother had got mad, and at that point Face had taken Jackie back out to the stables, where Ben had already gone, giving the relatives some time to shout and talk and, in his mother’s case, to cry a little.

“Thinking way too loud, Jonathon Junior.” Face tilted his head slightly, pressing warm lips against his chest.

“I thought you were asleep, baby,” Hannibal replied softly, tightening his hold on his boy. “And no more ‘junior’, okay, kid?”

“Are you kidding?” Lifting up on one elbow, blue eyes sparkling with mischief met his gaze. “Murdock and Bosco are gonna find that hilarious! You really think I’m going to let that slide?”

Growling deep in his throat, Hannibal tensed then flipped their positions, landing Face flat on his back and hovering over him, an elbow on either side of his head. Craning his neck, he peppered his lover with kisses anywhere he could reach, forehead, nose, eyelid, everywhere except where Face most wanted it. “I’m sure I can find some way to persuade you,” he breathed, hovering an inch above those full lips, pulling back when Face tried to lunge up to meet him, only to drop back down, close enough that they were sharing the same air. “Would you let me try?”

“You know me, boss.” His handsome lover smiled that megawatt grin of his. “I’m always open to persuasion.” With that, Hannibal kissed him gently, softly, opening his mouth when a warm tongue begged for entrance. They lay together, just kissing, making out like teenagers in his parents’ house for what felt like hours, until eventually Hannibal pulled back. Before he lost himself in Face for the second time that night, there were questions he wanted to ask, before the younger man pulled all his defences back into place the next morning.

Ignoring the slight whine of disappointment as he settled at Face’s side, stroking one hand through those soft golden curls, he started with, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

As he expected, that playful gleam vanished from Face’s eyes. “How could I?” he was asked in return. “They’re your parents, I knew they only wanted the best for you. I just didn’t know how to show them that I was the best for you.” He chuckled, a false laugh if ever Hannibal heard one. “If that even makes any sense. You are so lucky to have them around, you know that?”

“I do.” Face looked so sad for a moment, then seemed to shake it off. Hannibal had another thought. “You didn’t believe my mother, did you? That I was only with you because of your looks?” 

That toned body went taut beside him, and Hannibal feared he had hit a nerve with that question. His beautiful boy, still so unwilling to believe he could be loved for more than his looks. As he was about to try to reassure Face once again, uncertain what he could add to the list he had recited to his parents, the younger man spoke up. “I thought about it for a moment. But then I thought of all the times you told me you loved me, the times when I was covered in dirt from the desert, or covered in blood from a job gone wrong. And I knew she was wrong. After all these years, I know you love me. All of me.” Blue eyes slightly damp now, Face turned his question back on him. “What about you? When your father said I only wanted your money?”

“Didn’t buy it for a second, sweetheart.” Hannibal leaned over to offer another kiss. “I don’t think you knew until yesterday exactly how rich my family are. I saw the shock on your face when we arrived.” A slightly teary smile from the man next to him. “I know you love all of me, too. Old man that I am.”

“Nah, a ‘junior’ one still!”

Oh, were they still on that? Hannibal had the feeling that particular nickname might follow him for a while. Unless he could persuade Face otherwise. Letting that growl out again, relishing the cheeky grin his lover threw his way, the threatening tears forgotten, he set about showing Face exactly how much he was loved, determined to make him scream with pleasure – parents or no parents – before they returned to base in the morning, and returned to hiding their love away from view. Until the next time when they could just be themselves. Maybe he could bring Face back for thanksgiving next time, he mused as that lithe body writhed beneath him. Then he just stopped thinking altogether and lost himself in feelings.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for ocean_blue15 at ATeam-Inspire:
> 
> Hannibal comes from a rich family and he takes Face to meet them. The family don’t like or trust Face.
> 
> They are nice(ish) with maybe some barbed comments to him in front of Hannibal but when Hannibal is not around they are not so nice! They can only see that Hannibal is with Face because of his looks and Face with him for the money.
> 
> Face does not want to be the cause of Hannibal falling out with them so may make excuse to leave or handle it another way?


End file.
